My Little Garden 9th Oct 2021
More bulbs arrived in the post this week and thanks to a run of dry sunny days, and a bit of spare time, I filled the pots with a mix of peatfree compost and grit ready for bulb planting. Like last year, they will be left for a few days so that Mr Squirrel has an opportunity to dig them up and be disappointed by the lack of goodies. If this tactic works again it will be a small victory but a very satisfying one.
I’ve also dug up a big patch of Japanese anemones to create a space in the east facing border. I’m contemplating a small tree because I need some height, but can’t decide which one. I already have an amelanchier for blossom, berries and autumn colour so I’m thinking maybe a sorbus, such as S. vilmorinii which I saw at Holehird Gardens a couple of weeks ago. The berries are pink and fade to white over the course of winter and I think it would look perfect. Watch this space!
For my six ‘things' this week, I’m sticking to flowers while I still can. In November it gets much trickier.
- Asters again
Let’s start with asters. Not the vibrant Winston C because ‘he’ had his turn last week, but an altogether more delicate plant whose common name is Japanese aster and whose proper name is Kalimeris yomena ‘Shogun’. I grow this more for the variegated foliage than it’s flowers, but they are pretty all the same.
You can’t see the leaves that well on the first shot so here they are.
2. More asters and an interloper
I bought this one a couple of years ago as Aster novi-belgii ‘Little Ness' but its flowers are white rather than pale pink so I’m not sure. Rozanne is butting in as usual.
3. Gaura
This one is G. ‘Whirling Butterflies’ which I’ve had for a few years in a pot. It gets moved around to fill in any late season gaps. Like all gaura it is beautifully wafty.
4. Penstemon
A brilliant perennial that I’ve remembered to take cuttings from this year. It’s looking a bit straggly now but the flowers will keep on coming through October.
5. The last rose
I hope it’s not the last one but sadly I can’t see any more buds. Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ was the first to flower in May and will be the last in October.
6. Blue sky
I know I said I’d stick to flowers this week, but just look at that blue sky. And lots of catkins on the Garrya!
And that’s it for the second week in October.
To explore more gardens around the world, take a look at the #sixonsaturday hashtag on twitter as well as the blog of The Propagator who’s in charge of this weekly garden fest.
https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/
Have a great weekend.
